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IntroductiontotheTraditionalArtsandEthnologyCentre(TAEC)LuangPrabang,LaoPDR

2016-2017TheTraditionalArtsandEthnologyCentreisamuseumintheUNESCOWorldHeritagetownofLuangPrabang,LaoPDR.ItistheonlyindependentmuseumandresourcecentreinLaosdedicatedtothecollection,preservation,andinterpretationofthetraditionalartsandlifestylesofthecountry’smanyanddiverseethnicgroups.TAECfeaturesprofessionalexhibitionsontheethnicculturesofLaos,aMuseumShoppromotinghandicraftsfromvillageartisans,activitycentre,library,andacaféservingcoldrefreshments.Inaddition,theTAECBoutiqueonthemainstreetinBanVatSene,featureslocallyproduced,fairtradeproductsincludingtheexclusiveHeirloomCollection.TheHeirloomCollectionfeaturesproductsmadebymasterartistsandcertifiedforauthenticity.Todate,TAEChaswelcomedover120,000Laoandinternationalvisitors,andhasrapidlyemergedasaregionalleaderinculturalheritagemanagementandcommunitydevelopment.TAECisguidedbyaBoardofAdvisors,consistingofanthropologistsandtextilescholars.TheCentrewasfoundedbyTaraGujadhurandThongkhounSoutthivilaywhonowserveasCo-Directors.TaraGujadhurisanAmericanwithananthropologybackgroundand15years’experienceinindigenouscommunitydevelopmentandsustainabletourisminsouthernAfricaandSoutheastAsia.ThongkhounSoutthivilayisaLuangPrabangnativetrainedinJapan,theNetherlands,andThailandwhoworkedattheLuangPrabangNationalMuseumforover10yearsastheCollectionManagerandaconservator.TogethertheybeganworkonTAECin2006,buildingacollection,researching,andworkingwithethniccommunities,andcuratingthepermanentexhibitions.TheTraditionalArtsandEthnologyCentrewaslaunchedon5July2007.Today,TAECisengagedinabroadrangeofmuseumandcommunityengagementactivities,reflectingitscommitmenttosupportinglivingethnicminoritycommunitiestopreserveandpromotetheirculturalheritagewhilelookingtowardsthefuture.TAEC’sexhibitinformationisinLaoandEnglish,withFrench,German,Spanish,ChineseandJapanesetranslationsalsoavailable.TAEC’sActivitiesInclude:• Exhibitions

Thepermanentexhibitioncontainstext,photographs,andobjectsfromvillagesthroughoutthenorthofLaos.TheseexhibitsexploretheuniqueculturalaspectsoffourofLaos’mostwellknownethnicminoritygroups:Akha,Hmong,KmhmuandTaiLue.Thenewestspecialexhibition,“SeedsofCulture:FromLivingPlantstoHandicrafts”openedinSeptember2016.ThisexhibitfeaturestheJob’stears(Coix)plant,indigenoustomainlandsoutheastAsia,todemonstratetheimportantrelationshipbetweenhumansandnature.ItwasguestcuratedbyDr.YukinoOchiai,aJapaneseethnobotanistatRyukokuUniversity,whohasresearchedJob’stearsforover15years,amassinganunparalleledcollectionofobjectsfeaturingtheplant’sseeds.

TAEC’sinformationisinLaoandEnglish,withFrench,German,Spanish,ChineseandJapanesetranslationsalsoavailable.Basedonprofessionalmuseumstandards,artefactsarerotatedregularlyandarchivallighting,mounting,anddisplaytechniquesareemployed.

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• AdvocacyandLivelihoods

TAECrecognisestheneedtosupportlivelihooddevelopmentinethnicminoritycommunities,whichrepresentadisproportionatepercentageofthepoorinLaos,aswellasfosterthemorelong-termgoalofculturalprideandidentitybuilding.TAEC’sMuseumShop,TAECBoutique,andonlineshopsellscraftssourceddirectlyfromartisancommunities,promotinghandicraftskillsandlivelihoodsbasedontraditionalarts-keepingthesepreciousartsaliveandreducingtheneedtomigratetolargercitiesandtownsforemployment.Onaverage,50%oftheshop’sincomegoesdirectlytothehandicraftproducersthemselves,andcurrentlyprovidesover600ethnicminoritywomen,menandtheirfamiliesin12provinceswithsupplementaryincome.Accordingtofair-tradeandsustainabilityprinciples,TAECworkscloselywithhandicraftproducers,providingsmallloansandpaymentsupfront,traininginproductdesign,qualityandsmallbusinesspractices,andlogisticalsupport.TAEChassupportedartisanstovisitLuangPrabangtoparticipateinculturalexchangeactivities.TAECisdevelopingfurtheradvocacyactivitieswithethnicminoritycommunities,andiscurrentlyworkingonplansforanetworkofcommunitymuseumslocatedinethnicvillagesinnorthernLaos.

• EducationTAECencouragesLaocommunitiesandyouthtolearnaboutLaos’ethnicdiversitybyofferingfreeadmissiontoallLaocitizensandrunningschooloutreachactivitiesandstudenttours.TAECalsoprovidesprofessionaldevelopmentandtrainingforculturalandtourismworkers.In2010TAECstagedacommunityfestivaltopromoteunderstandingofandrespectforethnicculturesinLuangPrabang.TAEChasagrowinglibraryofbooks,articles,CDs,DVDsandphotographsonethnology,Laos,history,andSoutheastAsianarts,andactsasarepositoryforethnologyresearchinLaos.ResourcesareinEnglish,Lao,Thai,andFrench.Whenfundingpermits,TAECplanstodevelopapublicresourceroom,withsearchabledatabasesandlendingcapabilities.

• PreservationandDocumentationTheTAECpermanentcollectionconsistsofover400objectsfrom30ethnicgroups,documentedandpreservedforfuturegenerationsusinglocallyappropriatearchivalmethods.TheCentreisalsoresponsibleformaintainingartefactsonloanfromprivatecollections.

• Research

TAECconductsprimaryresearchinethniccommunities,developingcloserelationshipstolocaliseandenrichtheinformationcollected.TAEC’sownteamvisitsthefieldperiodicallytodocumentfestivalsandspecialevents,gatherinformationoncollectionobjects,andresearchfutureexhibitthemes.TAECisanactiveparticipantininternationalethnologyandtraditionalartsscholarship,andhaspresentedconferencepapersinMalaysia,Singapore,Thailand,theUSA,andVietnam.

VisionTobecomeacentreforlearningandexchangeontheethnologyandartisanalheritageofLaosthatpromotesappreciationfortheculturesandskillsofLaos’peoples,stimulatesinvestmentandpreservationoftheircrafts,andsupportstheirsustainablelivelihooddevelopment.MissionTopromoteprideandappreciationfortheculturesandknowledgeofLaos’diversepeoples,supportethniccommunitiestosafeguardtheirtangibleandintangibleculturalheritage,andpromotetheirsustainablelivelihooddevelopment.

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LOCATIONSTAECMuseum&MuseumShop-ExhibitionsandMuseumShopatthefootofPhousiHillbehindDaraMarketEntryFee:25,000KipandfreeforLaocitizensOpenTuesday–Sunday9am-6pmPhone:+856071253364TAECBoutique–FairTrade,handmade,ethnichandicraftsmadeinLaos.LocatedonthemainroadinBanVatSene,acrossfromVillaSantiHotel.OpenEveryday9am-9pmPhone:+8560305377557

TraditionalArtsandEthnologyCentre(TAEC)BanKhamyongLuangPrabang

LaoPDRwww.taeclaos.org

information@taeclaos.org

TheTAEClogoisderivedfromaLametdesigncarvedontowoodenricegranaries.TheLametareanAustroasiaticethnicgrouplivinginLuangNamthaandBokeoprovinces.